Switch with pivoted push button and countersunk switch lever



DEQ-13, 1966 G, M H|PPLE 3,291,930

SWITCH WITH PIVOTED PUSH BUTTON AND COUNTERSUNK SWITCH LEVER Filed May 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l i| lil:

INVENTORS FIG-4 l 68 6 GEORGE MACK HIPPLE HIS ATTORNEYS Dec. 13, 1966 G. M. HIPPLE SWITCH WITH PIVOTED PUSH BUTTON AND COUNTERSUNK SWITCH LEVER Filed May 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS GEORGE MACK HIPPLE BY VCE/M HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3 291,930 SWITCH WITH PIVOTED PUSH BUTTON AND COUNTERSUNK SWITCH LEVER George M Hipple, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Robertshaw Controls Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,159

13 Claims. (Cl. 200-67) This invention relates to a switch with Ia pivoted push button and a countersunk switch lever.

One of the features of this invention is to provide a switch with a pivoted push button, which passes through the switch casing or support. The push .button or plunger is connected to :the end of a p-ivoted lever which actuates the switch. The construction is such that there are practically no sliding parts between the push Ibutton and lever that add friction to :the actuation of a switch, the sliding .parts being limitedto the specially prepared bearing slot construction in which the push button or plunger is longitudinally and -swingingly movable.

Another feature of this invention includes a construction in which the end of the lever is received in ya suitable opening in the pivoted push button or plunger, in such amanner that the lever causes the plunger to pivot correctly and :to follow the arc movement of the lever without producing any friction producing sliding parts between these members.

Another feature of this invention includes a switch construction that iirmly holds the actuating lever against the pivot point, yand holds the actuating lever against the end of the plunger in a very effective manner.

'Other features become apparent from this description, the appended claimed subject matter, and/or the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the switch casing, with the cover yapplied thereto, the construction being shown substantially in actual scale, in :the original patent application drawings.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevati-on of the switch shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2, in an enlarged scale, with the cover removed, to show the switch construction inside the switch casing. t

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to FIGURE 3, .but showing the parts in the positions produced when the plunger is actuated or pushed in.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 3..

FIGURE 6 is Ia vertical cross section taken along the line 6 6 of FIGUR-E 3.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical view taken along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the pivot end of the switch actuating lever, in engagement with the pivot which is statiionarily held in the switch casin-g.

Certain words are used in the specication and claims of this application indicating direction, relative position, etc. These words are used for the sake of, brevity and clearness. However, it is to be understood that such words are used only in connection with the illustrations in the drawings, and that n actual practice the various parts so described may have entirely different directions, relative positions and the like. Examples of such words are upper, 1ower, horizontaL verticaL etc.

A switch 10, according to this invention may include an insulative switch casing or switch structure support 12. The switch casing 12 may have a switch cavity 14 and a plunger-receiving wall` 16 adjacent to the cavity 14. The wall 16 may have a plungerabe-aring slot 18, which rece-ives a plunger 20. Such plunger is longitudinally and swingingly movable in a plunger pivoting bearing 22, which has a sufliciently `short bearing surface, so that the plunger 20 can pivot and swing as it moves in or out of the bearing slot 18.

Another bearing, or limit stop 24 may be provided to limit the rightward movement of the plunger as the plunger moves upwardly. The other -side 26 of the plunger bearing 24 is offset leftrwardly to allow the plunger 20! to swing leftwardly, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

A switch, Ior switch structure or construction 28 is received and supported in the cavity 14 and may Ibe of any suitable construction such that it causes the movable contact construction or movable contacts 30* `and 31 to snap upwardly and downwardly respectively against the stationary contacts 32 and 34, which are lcarried by the stationary contact supports or lead-in bars 36 and 3 8, to which outside electrical conductors may be secured.

The movable contact construction 30, 31 may be carried by a movable or reciprocable, channel-shaped contact carrier or blade 40.

The movable contact carrier `or blade 40 may be channel-shaped in transverse cross section, and may have channel sides 42 joined together by the channel floor sections 44 and 46, which are separated `by a channel open bottom 48. Y

A switch actuating lever 50 lmay have a pivot lever end 52 pivoted on a stationary pivot or groove 54 in the cavity 14, which is carried in the casing 12. Such pivot 54 may be carried by a zigzag rod 56 which is rmly fixed in a groove 58 of the casing side wall 60. The rod 56 has i two vertical parallel runs 57 and 62, the run 62 being loosely received in the groove 64 in casing wall 16. The rod 56 also has a horizontal run 66, which joins or bridges the vertical runs 56 and 62, and the rod may have an outer bent conductor terminal 68, to which an outside conductor may be secured.

The switch-receiving casing 12 may also have relatively short end walls 70` and 72, which join or bridge the `relatively long side walls 16 and 60. The walls 16, 60, 70 and 72 may surround and orm the cavity 14. Such switch cavity 14 may have a bottom oor 74, FIG- URES 5, 6 and 7. A casing cover 76 may have side and end tlanges 78 which may be lgenerally shaped similarly to the casing walls 16, 60, 70 and 72. The anges 78 may engage the top edge surfaces of the casing walls 16, 60', 70 and 72. The cover 76 may be secured to the top surfaces of walls 16, `60, 70 and 72 by suitable screws, which may pass through the cover flanges or walls and be threaded into the casing walls in any of the holes 80, 82, 84 and 86,. Some or all of these holes may have Ialigned holes in the cover 76. Some of the screws may pass through the casing walls 16, 60, 70 and 72 and, if desired, also through the cover walls or flanges 78.

The actuating lever50 may have a main lever body 88 extending transversely ftov the longitudinal axis of the plunger slot 18 and may have a free lever end 90 bent and directed toward the plunger slot 18. The free lever end 90 is movable in an arc toward and away from the plunger slot. The plunger has alever end receiving opening 92 at its lower end or inner swinging end 94, The plunger end 94 may be in the form of a plunger head which extends suiiiciently far laterally, so that the upper surface of the plunger head 94 is stopped against abutment 96 of the casing side wall 16. The upper end 98 of the plunger 20 may be rounded and may be actuated by a direct manual pushing in of the plunger 98, or by a lever, not shown, which may be pivoted on the casing wall 16, which engages the upper end 98 of the plunger, as is well known.

It is thus to be seen that the plunger head 94 engages the inner end of the plunger-receiving bearing slot 181,. Also, that the plunger bearing slot 18 has an outer slot end and an inner slot end with the plunger pivoting bearing 22 being adjacent the outerslot end and with the inner slot end being transversely larger at 24 and 26 than the pivoting bearing 22. This construction allows |the plunger 22 to pivot or swing freely about the pivot bearing 22.

The switch construction further includes a snap spring blade 100, which has a central tongue 102, FIGURE 5, which is received between the ears 104 of the channel oor 44. The other end 106 -of the snap spring 100 engages a notch 108 in the angle between the parts or runs 66 and 62 of the rod 56.

It is thus to be seen that the actuating lever 50 is pivoted at pivot 54, and is securely heldin the slot 54 and has a notch 110 in the end 90 of the lever 50, which receives the edge of the floor 46, of the movable blade 40.

The snap spring 100 is bowed so that its ends are biased away from each other. The right end of the spring 100 pushes the movable blade 40 rightwardly, in FIGURES 2 and 3, and this, in turn, pulls the oor 46 into the notch 110 of the lever S8. The oor 46 produces a substantially horizontal rightward pull Ion the notch 110 of lever 50 and biases the lever end 90 upwardly into opening 92 of plunger 20. This upward bias of lever end 90, in turn, biases the plunger 20 upwardly both in FIGURES 3 and 4, so the plunger will return to its upper position of FIGURE 3 when released while in the actuated position of FIGURE 4.y

Thus, the snap spring construction may be made so that the switch moves to the up position, when the plunger 20 is released after being pushed down into actuated position, this being governed by the relative positions of the ends of the snap spring and the other pivot points of the'switch, as is now obvious from this disclosure tov those skilled in the art.

The runs 62 and 66 of the rod 56 may be narrower than the depth of casing walls 16, 60, 70 and 72 but proper notch constructions are provided in the casing walls properly to receive the rod where it engages such *i casing walls. For example, FIGURE 7 shows the bottom 58' lof the slot 58 of FIGURE 3. The rod 56 may also have outward ears 59, FIGURES 7 and 8, in which the pivot groove `54 may be formed to receive the pivot end 52 of lever 50. The vertical run 57 of the rod 56 may be slightly oifset at 61 above the ears 59, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

One of the cover anges 78 may be provided with a short pin which enters the shallow hole 84 in wall 60.

The contact carries 36 and 38 are notched at 36', 38', FIGURE 5, and are received in correspondingly notched portion 70 of the casing wall 70 and a corresponding extension 78' of the cover 76.

The contact carriers 36 and 38 also may have outward ears 112, FIGURES 3 and 5, to prevent the carriers from being pulled out ofthe casing.

The lever 50 is relatively narrow at the left end 90, FIGURE 5, as compared with its pivot right end 52.

The left end 90 of lever 50 and the lower end 94 of plunger 20 swing in an arc or are belt about pivot 54 as a center. Such arc or arc belt is intersected by, or is in the neighborhood of, the central longitudinal axis of the plunger slot 18. This permits the plunger end 94 to actuate the lever end 90 with substantially no sliding friction.

The plunger 20 may be made of frictionless plastic, such as nylon or the like, while the casing and cover may be made of a synthetic moldable resin, such as Bakelite or the like. o

The construction of this invention eliminates any sliding lateral friction between 'the bottom ofthe button or plunger and the end of rthe pivoted lever if the plunger is not pivoted and if the lever end is caused to slide along the bottom of the plunger. It also eliminates the vertical movement friction between the plunger and the sides of fthe plunger 5191 caused by lateral friction that would be 4 produced if the lever end is caused to slide along the bottom ot the plunger. f Also the reduced friction due to the construction of this invention reduces the loperating force of the switch and also reduces the contamination in the switch by abrasive action between the plunger, plunger slot and pivoted member.

While the form of the invention now preferred has disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims lwhich Y follow.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination: a switch casing having a switch cavity and a plunger receiving wall'adjacent said cavity, said wallhaviug a plunger bearing slot;

a switch construction in said cavity;

a switch actuating lever having a pivot lever end pivoted on a pivot in said cavity, said lever'having a main lever body extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of said plunger bearing slot and having a free lever end bent and directed toward said plunger bearing slot and movable in an arc ltoward and away from said plunger bearing slot;

and a plunger longitudinally and swingingly movable in a plunger pivoting bearing in said slot, said plunger having an opening at its inner and swinging end receiving said tree lever end.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein said plunger has an enlarged head at its inner plunger end with said opening in said head.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which said plunger bearing slot has an outer slot end and an inner slot end with said plunger pivoting bearing being ad'- jacent said outer slot end, and with said inner slot end being transversely larger than said pivoting bearing.

4. A combination according to claim 2 in which the upper surface of said plunger enlarged head engages said plunger receiving Wall at the inner end of said plunger receiving bearing slot, said lever receiving opening being in the lower surface of said enlarged head.

5. In combination:

an insulative casing having a switch receiving cavity and a cavity boundary wall adjacent said cavity, saidwall having a plunger receiving bearing slot in said wall; Y

a switch structure carried in said cavity, said switch structure lincluding a pivot supporting rod carried by said boundary wall and having a lever pivot slot in said rod;

a switch structure actuating lever with a pivoted lever end engaged in said lever-pivot slot and` with an actuatable lever end movable toward and away from said bearing slot in an arc with said lever pivot slot as an axis;

an actuating plunger passing through said plunger receiving bearing slot, said plunger having an actuatable end extending out beyond said plunger receiving bearing slot, said plunger having an inner plunger end with a lever end receiving opening,'said actuatable lever end being received in said lever receiving opening, said plunger receiving bearing slot having a relatively short plunger pivoting bearing for said plunger.

6. A combination according to claim 5 in which said pivot supporting rod has a snap. spring blade receiving pivot slot on its opposite side from said lever pivot slot and said switch structure includes a channel shaped movable contact carriage with a movable contact supporting floor at one end and with a lever end engaging oor at the other end and with an open bottom between said iioors, said pivot supporting rod passing through said open bottom, and a snap spring blade movable in said open bottom with one blade end pivoted to said blade receiving pivot slot and with the other blade end pivoted against said movable contact supporting oor, a pair of movable contacts on opposite sides of said contact supporting oor, and a pair of stationary contacts respectively engaged by said movable contacts.

7. A combination according to claim 6 in which said boundary Wall is rectangular in shape with opposite long walls and opposite short walls, and in which said pivot supporting rod has two substantially parallel runs joined by a transverse run, and in which one of said parallel runs passes through and is secured in one of said long walls and the other of said parallel runs passes through said open bottom and has its end extending int-o a long wall slot in said other long wall, and in which said plunger receiving bearing slot extends through said last named other long Wall.

8. A combination according to claim 7 in which a bottom casing wall is integral with said opposite long walls and opposite short walls, and in which a rectangular cover member covers said long and short walls and has a iiange construction for engagement with said boundary wall and has a substantially at outer surface and a recessed inner surface.

9. In combination:

an insulative switch structure support having a plunger receiving wall with a plunger receiving tubular bearing slot in said wall;

a switch structure carried by said support;

a switch structure actuating lever with a pivoted lever end engaged in a pivot member carried by said support and with an actuatable lever end movable in an arc about said pivot, said arc lbeing intersected by the longitudinal axis of said tubular bearing slot;

an actuating plunger passing through said tubular bearing slot, said plunger having an actuatable outer plunger end extending out beyond said tubular bearing slot and having an inner plunger end with a lever receiving opening in said inner plunger end, said actuatable lever end being received in said lever receiving opening, said plunger receiving tubular bearing slot having a relatively short plunger pivoting bearing for said plunger.

10. In combination:

an insulative casing having a central switch receiving cavity and a casing side wall structure adjacent said cavity;

a switch structure in said cavity;

a switch actuating lever with a pivoted lever end held in a pivot in said cavity and with an actuatable lever end swinging in an arc about said pivot;

an actuating plunger passing through a casing plunger slot in said casing side wall structure, said plunger having an actuatable outer plunger end outside said side wall and having an inner plunger end in said cavity with a lever end receiving opening, said actuatable lever end being received in said receiving opening, said casing plunger slot having a relatively short plunger pivoting bearing for said plunger.

11. A combination according to claim 10 in which said plunger slot pivoting bearing is adjacent the outer end of said plunger slot, and in which another and wider plunger bearing is provided adjacent the inner plunger bearing end to limit the pivoting movement of said plunger.

12. A combination according to claim 11 in which said plunger has a relatively flat head at its inner end inside said casing with the edge of said head engageable with said casing side wall and with said lever end receiving opening |being loca-ted in the inner surface of said head.

13. A combinati-on according to claim 12 in which the outer end of said plunger is rounded.

No references cited.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A SWITCH CASING HAVING A SWITCH CAVITY AND A PLUNGER RECEIVING WALL ADJACENT SAID CAVITY, SAID WALL HAVING A PLUNGER BEARING SLOT; A SWITCH CONSTRUCTION IN SAID CAVITY; A SWITCH ACTUATING LEVER HAVING A PIVOT LEVER END PIVOTED ON A PIVOT IN SAID CAVITY, SAID LEVER HAVING A MAIN LEVER BODY EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID PLUNGER BEARING SLOT AND HAVING A FREE LEVER END BENT AND DIRECTED TOWARD SAID PLUNGER BEARING SLOT AND MOVABLE IN AN ARC TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PLUNGER BEARING SLOT; AND A PLUNGER LONGITUDINALLY AND SWINGINGLY MOVABLE IN A PLUNGER PIVOTING BEARING IN SAID SLOT, SAID PLUNGER HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS INNER AND SWINGING END RECEIVING SAID FREE LEVER END. 